Just as a game does not make a career, a few appearances do not confirm a trend.
However, there was definitely something intriguing in Jonathan Drouin’s meeting with Ryan Poehling on Monday night against the Vancouver Canucks. In the first period, head coach Dominique Ducharme transferred Drouin in place of Michael Pezzetta to the left of Poehling and Joel Armia.
The experience quickly paid off. Armia’s forward failure caused the Canucks defenseman to hesitate. A turnaround followed, then Drouin grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and advanced into the opponent’s zone on the left flank. His pass to the front of the net was perfect, and Poehling, who had rushed like a train and left his roofer Bo Horvat, deftly deflected the puck into the top of the net.
Knowing the run-down issues this team have been having since the start of the season, it’s worth revisiting the streak.
“It was a goal of the National League”, analyzed Drouin, Tuesday morning, after the training of his team.
“He was the one who created the goal by picking up speed in the neutral zone and beating his guy at the net. We see that Ryan’s game has matured for two years, he is less nervous. We can tell he’s more comfortable in the NHL. ”
We’re starting to repeat ourselves, but Poehling seems so far one of the (rare) great stories of the season. After a regular training camp, he was ceded to the Rocket de Laval. Since his recall, he has undoubtedly gained in confidence. It is still used by his coach sparingly – 11:31 a.m. Monday night – but it shows a lot more speed and intensity than what he had accustomed Montreal fans to before. Here he is even in the numerical advantage, the result of an overflowing infirmary on the other hand.
“The reason for his success is that his feet move all the time,” Drouin continued. He flies on the ice. ”
He is an excellent youngster, he wants to learn and become better. He asks questions, he talks on the bench… It’s fun, playing with him.
Jonathan drouin
The sample is of course extremely limited, as Drouin and Poehling only played 3.36 min together on the five-on-five ice rink on Monday. And Armia was only their right winger for 2 min 31 s. The three, however, joined forces for one goal and two quality scoring chances.
As long as we are ready to break the convention of the hierarchy of trios – Poehling is identified as the Canadian’s fourth center – we see that Drouin’s talents as a passer, Poehling’s speed and Armia’s qualities in check front and puck protection give birth to an attention-grabbing trio. The three were also reunited again in training.
Make your place
Poehling, for his part, does not change a comma in his speech of the last few weeks: he appreciates all the opportunities offered to him in Montreal. However, finding himself on the same unit as Drouin has nothing to displease him.
“He has so much talent, marveled the American about the Quebecer. One of my first summers in Montreal, I trained with him and was impressed with his skills. It’s really fun to play with him. To be honest, I just want to give him the puck! […] If he has time and space, he’s going to have a good game. ”
After Monday’s loss, Ducharme had had good words for his new suit, pointing out that Poehling had seized the chance that had been offered to him. “This is how you make your place,” he added.
The principal concerned also revealed that his trainer constantly reminded him to simplify his game without getting lost in guesswork. “Direct hockey”, summed up the young man. And that’s exactly what got him a goal on Monday.
By the way, his total of four goals since the start of the season places him tied with Nick Suzuki, Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans, the three center players ahead of him in the Canadiens’ hierarchy, despite these last have played 10 to 14 more games than him.
That doesn’t make Poehling the hero who will save the Habs season. But it certainly gives him a reason to smile.
In short
Edmundson’s absence continues
Joel Edmundson has missed the first 24 games of the season, and it is questionable when he will finally return to the game. After traveling with the club last week and taking part in a few full training sessions, including one with contacts, the defender n ‘was no longer seen on the ice. With a back injury, Edmundson was re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Monday night and missed training for his team on Tuesday to receive treatment. He will undergo additional assessments over the next few days, after which the organization will provide an update on his condition, we are told. The progress of his injury is hard to follow. At the opening of training camp on September 23, the Canadian, in a complete medical check-up, wrote that Edmundson was “evaluated on a daily basis”. A few weeks later, Ducharme said he was perplexed about his progress. As signs pointed to a return to shape last week, it’s hard not to see a setback in her recovery.
Chiarot is not thinking of an exchange
With the season the Canadian is having and with Ben Chiarot’s contract which expires at the end of the current campaign, the defender finds himself among the players most likely to change address by the transaction deadline. Chiarot for the first time answered questions about it and ensured that his heart was in Montreal until further notice. “It’s not something I control at all,” he said at first. I do my job, which is to play, and those who have to make decisions will make them. To worry about it would be wasting my energy. The 30-year-old skater, who is the father of a baby girl, however agreed that this situation invariably causes stress for the players’ families. “It’s part of the business,” he dropped. I don’t want to start speculating on what’s going to happen in the future. ”
Homage to Bergevin
One after the other, the veterans of the club are invited to talk about the departure of Marc Bergevin, and it was Ben Chiarot’s turn on Tuesday. “ Berge believed in me. He believed in the player I could be, ”said the former Winnipeg Jets, who joined CH in July 2019 as a free agent. He further described Bergevin as a general manager close to his players, perhaps even more to his defenders, a position he himself held during his long career on the ice. “He’s a guy who played a long time, and he played in a similar way to mine. He had a huge role in my career. I will always be grateful to him for helping me become the player I am today. “His experience as a player, precisely, made him a” single DG, “Chiarot said. “He knows what it feels like after a loss, after a long trip. He was a full member of the team. And that’s why he was so respected by the guys in the locker room. ”